The Washington critic., 1887-01-10

Tie thousand and one remarks expires
slvo Of approval when the news OF
Secretary Lamar's marriage came to
Washington on Wednesday, says the
suns Washington correspondent, and
II originated not Il thousand miles from
the Cabinet circle. The marriage of
the dear old man" and the snowstorm
were the two topics of conversation on
Wednesday during the round OF Cabl.
net calls. The snowstorm, OF course.
was dcplored, but there was general re-
joicing over Secretary Lamar's mar.
riage. At his house on N street, Goa
gratula,ions were poured in upon his
daughter.and daughterin.law who were
receiving They seemed delighted and
quite as glad as anybody. This seemed
TO he the family feeling "But them"
as one visitor remarked, zone can't
always tell. Now / think 1t was real
mean In him TO get married Just as his
family were nicely settled in a
house. think ho might at least have
given his daughter and sons wife one
season of partnership In hostess honors." "
'But 1t will be so much nicer said
another, "for Miss Lamar to have her
life as q young lady here without the
responsibility of being hostess. Yes, ]
think the marriage is good thing for
oil of them. Mrs. Holt comes with n
prominent social position, and the Sec.
reiary gets lift also In the money she
brings with her. He isn't rich; In fact,
lie Is a poor man. Now, don't you see,
this union of money and position is the
very best thing that could have hnp.
pencd to the two families"
"a
Great men have whims, as well US
small ones, says Towlc of the Boston
Trdte'lor, and public pcrsonages are
frequently very queer upon some par.
,icular thing Probably cX Attorney
General Brewster had the strangest
conceit of any man who ever came to
Washington. lie liked an open.grate
fire, but somehow he detested the color
of coal. The contrast of the black
coal and the rcd and blue flames was
most distGsteful to him; so his servant
always had orders to splash the fuel
literally with whitewash, which he
kept on hand for the purpose. Ben.
Butler, has a whim. OF late years he
Is seldom without n piece of
slippery elm in his mouth, which he
declares Is an admirable specific for
nervousness. Years ago Butler was a
smoker. Then he took what Is known
as dry smoke, that is, he went
through the motions of smoking with
an unlighted cigar in his mouth.
From that he was graduated to slippery
elm, and there is no. telling which
higher course he will take next. Sena.
tor Beck's whim is that he cannot
speak unless he arises with penholder
in his right hand, which he always
slams down upon his desk before he
has spoken dozen words There are
several Members Of Congress who
have what is known as the crack.
walking craze. Not one Of these men
would step upon n crack in u
days walk, unless obliged to do
so by the presence of brick
sidewalk. There is Il certain
scientific man here whose name Is
known all over the civilized world. He
says 81 have had this crack walking
habit for twenty years. In the first
place | started just for fun, to see If /
could avoid stepping on crack in go
ing a certain distance. found that |
could, and l made up my mind to keep
1t up for that day. AS had certain
amount of walking to do, at first this
craze was a sort of pleasant diversion.
Then 1t became settled habit. have
tried TO break it up time and time
again, but 1t has such hold on me that
presume will remain a crack. walker
10 the end OF my days"